The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the University of Vermont (UVM) reached a resolution agreement on April 3 over a complaint that UVM failed to adequately respond to allegations of antisemitism on campus.
Among the allegations in the complaint, which was filed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law in October 2021, included that a sexual assault survivors club announcing that they wouldn’t allow Zionist students to join the club and that students allegedly pelted the UVM Hillel building with rocks and “a sticky substance” for 30-40 minutes. When confronted by a student to stop, one of the offending students asked if the student confronting them was Jewish. And the university didn’t treat it as a bias incident, the complaint alleged. The complaint also alleged that a teaching assistant had asked in social media posts if it would be ethical to give lower grades to Zionist students.
According to a press release, OCR’s investigation into the complaint found that the university “declined to investigate any of the complaints” and took “delayed” measures in response, actions that “may have discouraged students and staff from raising further concerns with the university or with participating in the OCR investigation.” Under the resolution agreement, the university will “issue a statement with a commitment to address discrimination based on shared ancestry, including antisemitism” and “review and revise its policies and procedures to include a description of forms of discrimination that can manifest in the university environment, and to ensure that the university’s response to notice of discrimination including national origin harassment on the basis of shared ancestry is consistent with Title VI [of the Civil Rights Act],” among other things, per the press release.
“It’s a significant milestone in the effort to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment and discrimination on campus,” Brandeis Center President Alyza D. Lewin told the Journal, “and I think it’s particularly significant because I think it’s first resolution issued by the Biden administration on university antisemitism … and it came in a complaint that was very clearly focused on harassment and discrimination of Jewish students for whom Zionism is an essential component of their Jewish identity. In this case––where antizionism featured so prominently––OCR expressed its concern that the university had not done enough.” Lewin also noted that it was significant that the resolution required the university to have policies protecting Jewish students on the basis of ethnicity in addition to religion. “If you target Jews on the basis of their sense of peoplehood or their heritage or their ancestry, that component, that’s also protected by Title VI,” she said.
Lewin added that the resolution was only “the beginning” and that OCR needs to make sure that the university follows through on the resolution and takes “concrete steps” to address antisemitism on campus. “This can’t just be left as empty words,” Lewin said.
Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon said in a statement, “I am grateful for the University of Vermont’s commitment to address antisemitic harassment that violates federal civil rights law. Everyone has a right to learn in an environment free from antisemitic harassment. We will be watching to be sure these students are safe.”
UVM President Suresh Garmela said in a statement, “UVM unequivocally condemns, and will not tolerate, antisemitism in any form. With today’s resolution agreement, UVM is redoubling its efforts to ensure this commitment is as tangible to the campus community as possible moving forward.”
UVM Hillel Executive Director Matt Vogel said in a statement, “The President and senior leadership’s new statements today represent tangible and accountable steps forward. We hope this ensures that no Jewish student or any student at UVM experiences discrimination or harassment because of their identity. Hillel will remain in ongoing dialogue with our university partners to ensure that antisemitism and hatred have no place on our campus. We will continue to amplify student concerns when they arise, and we echo the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon’s statement that, ‘Everyone has a right to learn in an environment free from antisemitic harassment.’”
The American Jewish Committee said in a statement, “The ruling from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights made clear the University of Vermont administration fell short of living up to its Title VI obligations to investigate incidents of antisemitic harassment on campus this past fall. Unjustly targeting Jewish students for their beliefs has no place within universities or within broader American society. Once students make the courageous decision to report such incidents, universities must provide a fair and thorough investigation into these claims rather than leaving students with little information, closure, and support. Equally troublesome, as reported by the Department of Education, are the initial statements made by university leadership, which perpetuated a hostile environment for affected Jewish students. The university must do better.
“We call on UVM to take reports of antisemitic harassment seriously, investigate those allegations in a timely manner, and create transparent reporting structures for bias incidents. We hope UVM will take seriously its commitment to implement meaningful changes on campus and, in doing so, enable Jewish students to participate fully and authentically in all aspects of campus life, without fear of exclusion or retribution simply for being Jewish or Zionist.”
